Contemporary surgical approaches for hip resurfacing

Hip resurfacing and total hip arthroplasty have evolved and improved dramatically as surgical procedures in the last decade; allowing for improvement of patient function and quality of life. A better understanding of biomaterials, biomechanics; as well as, surgical approaches have minimized time to recovery, improved implants’ survival and decreased complications. In particular hip resurfacing as a bone conservation technique, has specific considerations when selecting the surgical approach and surgical instruments affecting the success of the surgery and the outcome in the young, active patient. We present a review of surgical approaches for hip resurfacing, considering that these approaches are also performed for total hip arthroplasty, however they are adjusted or modified for hip resurfacing with special considerations to preserving femoral head blood supply as well as proper component orientation.